The University of Alabama in Huntsville earned a 3-0 sweep to knock off the West Alabama Tigers at home Saturday. The Tigers sat atop the Gulf South Conference coming into their matchup against the Chargers.
The Chargers (13-2, 5-1 GSC) took the opening point of the first set before UAH and the Tigers (18-2, 6-1) began to trade points. The Chargers moved ahead, 8-4, for what proved to be a tie for the largest lead of the set, before West Alabama caught up to keep the lead in question for both sides. While UAH moved ahead by four again, 20-16, the Tigers answered back to push the Chargers into extra play before three straight points off a combo block from Emily Redman and Mary Grace Bundrant, and two kills from Kayla Ward to earn a 28-26 Set 1 win.
UAH started Set 2 in a similar fashion to the first as Cooper Garrett put the Chargers on the board first with a kill before West Alabama responded with a kill of its own. Unlike the first, however, the Chargers pushed forward with their momentum to take an early 6-2 lead before the two came close again as UAH led 8-7. From there, though, the Chargers let their offense loose on a 17-6 run to earn a 25-13 Set 2 victory. UAH capitalized on its attacks with 12 kills while also racking up five service aces with Mary George Vandergriff scoring one while both Brooklyn Stiles and Sydney Durban each scored two.
Anna Clare Hutto got the Chargers started off in Set 3 with a service ace as UAH took the early edge. UAH went up by six, 10-4, as Ella Schumacher finished off the 7-2 run with a kill. West Alabama tied the score at 12, but UAH moved ahead for the next several exchanges before both sides tied again at 22. West Alabama earned its first lead of the set on the ensuing point, 23-22, but it was short lived as the Chargers scored three straight to take the final set 25-23.
IN THE STATS
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Kayla Ward once again led the Chargers in kills with 10 while hitting at a 0.421 efficiency. Emily Redman and Mary Grace Bundrant added another nine kills each while Emily Schumacher and Cooper Garrett each recorded seven of their own.
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Anna Clare Hutto led UAH in assists with 18, though Garrett was right behind her with 17 of her own.
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Ward also led the team in total blocks with 5.5, recording five solo stops. Bundrant added 2.0 with one solo while Garrett recorded 1.5 with a solo.
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Brooklyn Stiles led UAH with 18 digs while Emily Redman added 10 of her own.
COMING UP
UAH goes on the road for its next three matches with a match in Cleveland, Tennessee, against Lee on Oct. 6 before heading to Montgomery for a showdown with AUM on Oct. 9 and finishing at Valdosta, Georgia, against Valdosta State on Oct. 10.
The Chargers' next home match will come against Trevecca Nazarene at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 13.
